The summit of the Clock Tower.
The wind swept across the heights.
It was three against one.
The atmosphere was thick with tension.
Dia slowly leveled his sword.
"Three against one, I see." He laughed, appearing genuinely amused. "This is quite the warm welcome."
I took a step forward. "If this is a welcome, you could have been a little more civil about it."
I joked, lighthearted even now. I channeled my magical power toward my feet, and a faint white smoke began to seep out.
Dia’s eyes flicked downward. "...Smoke?"
Not interested in basic spells? A moment later—poof—it billowed out. Thick white smoke blanketed the entire summit, robbing us of our sight in an instant.
"...Ho," Dia’s voice echoed. "Obscuring my vision, are you?"
He didn't sound panicked. If anything, he sounded impressed. "Simple, but effective."
I wished I had enough composure to enjoy the fight like he did.
Clang!
The ring of clashing metal. Yuka had made her move. She lunged through the smoke, her presence completely erased.
"..."
Dia caught the strike with his blade. "You shouldn't be able to see me," he noted. Yet even as he spoke, his defense remained flawless.
From his flank—whoosh! Ice spears streaked through the air. Elysia’s contribution. Dia twisted his torso, but this time, he couldn't evade them entirely.
Slash.
His robe tore, and blood began to seep.
"...I see," Dia said, his voice dropping an octave. "Impressive coordination."
The smoke thickened further. I kept funneling my magical power into the spell. Even a low-cost spell like this was a bit of a strain. But this wasn't just ordinary smoke. It was designed to disturb magical perception; I was lacing the mist with my own unconverted mana to dull his senses.
"Yuka!" I called out.
No verbal answer, but the sounds of clashing steel told me she was already on the move. As expected of my hyper-competent maid! Her movements were practiced and fluid, showing no hesitation despite the zero visibility.
Dia took a step back and muttered softly, "This is... troublesome."
For once, he sounded like he meant it.
"Hmph. How about this, then?"
A Flame Arrow tore through the smoke, aimed straight for me. But a wall of ice rose up, stopping it dead.
"Did you think I would allow that?" Elysia asked coldly.
Man, she was cool.
"Freeze," Elysia commanded.
Frost raced across the ground instantly. The smoke didn't bother her; she was going to crush him with sheer range. Crackle! Ice sheeted across the floor. Restricting movement—a perfect application of what we'd practiced during the group competition.
Yuka slid in for the kill. Dia was a fraction of a second late to react.
Clink!
Her dagger knocked his sword aside, finally breaking his stance. There was the opening.
"Now!" I yelled.
Carving through the magical currents in the smoke, Elysia’s ice spear flew true.
Boom!
A direct hit. As the smoke began to thin—I was reaching my limit—I saw the results.
"...You are quite good," Dia said, putting clear distance between us. Blood streamed from his shoulder, but the smile never left his face. I guess a corporate drone never breaks their customer-service smile, though this guy was clearly off his rocker.
"Stripping away sight, disturbing perception, and using coordinated strikes. It’s very rational." He flicked his sword, sending droplets of blood to the floor. "However—"
In an instant, flames erupted. A wave of heat so intense it blew the smoke back.
"You cannot reach me with only that."
The flames exploded, clearing the summit in a single burst. Our vision was restored instantly.
"Kh...!" I stumbled back a step.
"It’s no problem," Elysia said, her voice steady. "We only need to set it up again."
Yuka was already back in her stance, her breathing as calm as if she were taking a stroll.
I smiled. "Right."
But it was almost time. The smoke was nearly gone. Dia caught my eye and smirked.
"Very well. Then... shall we get a little more serious?"
The air grew heavy. This was the next stage. The battle was about to hit a whole new level.
—Or so he thought. I exhaled softly.
"...Everyone," I muttered. My voice was so casual it felt entirely out of place. "Be quiet for a second."
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Even Dia’s brow furrowed in confusion. "What are—"
Silence. The sounds of battle that had been echoing from below... were gone. Everything had finally settled.
"...Alright," I whispered, a smirk spreading across my face. "That was cutting it way too close."
Dia’s eyes narrowed. "What are you...?"
Without looking back, I spoke. "Yuka."
"Yes." Her response was immediate—seriously, she's the best.
"Toward the outside. Just a light one. Give me a flash."
She understood immediately and didn't hesitate. She extended her hand toward the open air. A moment later, a flash of light burst against the night sky. A signal.
I took a slow breath. "...Sorry," I whispered, my voice meant only for the two of them. "Bear with me for a second."
"...?"
In that split second, I moved. I grabbed Yuka and Elysia by the arms and yanked them toward me.
"Eh?"
"Lord Luka—!"
They both cried out, but it was already too late.
"If we die, I'm sorry!"
I pulled them into a tight embrace and stepped off the ledge.
"Huh?" Dia’s voice sounded utterly blank as the three of us plummeted out of the tower.
The wind roared in our ears as gravity claimed us. We were in a freefall, plummeting toward the earth.
"Lord Luka!? What are you doing!?"
"W-Wait a second—!"
Their panicked voices were lost to the wind. I hugged them tighter, trying to shield them from the sight of the approaching ground, and laughed. "I don't expect you to, but just trust me!"
I looked down. A certain someone was already in sight. "I've got insurance!"
The ground was rushing up to meet us. From this height, this should have been a death sentence. Man, this was terrifying!
But then—whoosh! An updraft of wind coiled around us. Our bodies suddenly felt weightless, and our terminal velocity was cut in an instant. Orbis's Wind.
"...Thank you," I breathed.
We were getting close. Time to stick the landing—or so I thought.
"...Eh?"
A shadow flickered in my vision. Thump! I felt an impact, but no pain.
"...Lord Luka!"
A familiar voice called out. I looked up.
"Lene...?"
Lene had caught all three of us as if we weighed nothing at all.
"That was dangerous," she said, pouting slightly. "I came all this way to meet you, and you just fall out of the sky."
I managed a wry smile. "Talk about timing... but I wasn't—"
RUMBLE!
A deafening roar erupted behind us. I looked back to see light lancing out from the center of the tower. A split second later—BOOM! A massive explosion tore through the structure. It was a chain reaction, tearing through the tower from base to summit, swallowing everything in its path. The tower was collapsing.
Stone shattered, flames erupted, and debris rained down from the night sky.
"...Whoa," I muttered. "That’s some excessive firepower."
Orbis, I'm blaming this one entirely on you.
Lene chuckled softly. "It's beautiful."
Ignoring her questionable reaction, I looked at Elysia, who was staring in stunned silence. "Luka, what is this...?"
"It was my last resort," I said. I was starting to feel a little guilty. "I had someone rig the place."
...God, I hope I don't have to pay for the repairs. I just hoped nobody else was inside. Smoke billowed into the air. The Clock Tower was a heap of rubble; it didn't even resemble a building anymore. I let out a long sigh as I watched the dust settle. Well... I guess this counts as a win?
"..."
◇◆◇
Amidst the rubble, a faint breath escaped.
"...Ha... haha..."
Dia was still alive. He was drenched in blood and his body was scorched, yet he was still laughing.
"Splendid... As if I'd say that!" Gray flames flickered over his wounds as his body began to knit itself back together. "Those damn brats! This isn't... over yet—"
"It is the end for you."
A cold, quiet voice cut him off. Yuka stood before him, completely unscathed. She had evaded almost every strike Dia had thrown at her. He hadn't even sensed her approach.
"...You? When did you—" Dia looked down. The book was gone.
"Wha—"
It was in Yuka’s hand. The replica of the Original Tome of Flame.
"...So this is the source of your power," she noted indifferently. Then, she opened the book.
"You! Stop—!"
Whoosh!
Gray flames surged, engulfing Dia. This time, there was no healing. The flames of restoration had been turned into the flames of condemnation.
"A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
His scream was cut short as he was erased. Not even ash remained; he was utterly incinerated.
Yuka closed the book with a soft thud. "...What happens to this kingdom is a trivial matter to me," she murmured. "But if a flame seeks to harm Lord Luka, then extinguishing it is my only reason for existing."
Having delivered her judgment for the sake of her one and only, she turned to follow her master. I wonder how I should have him warm me up this time? Her face was flushed with ecstasy, making no effort to hide the dark, burning obsession in her heart.